Wiping arrangement



Sept 16, 1969 K. PHLEPS ETAL WIPING ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Shawl 1 Filed Aug. 16. 1966 IN V EN TORJ .VONPAD PHLEPS FRANZ FRUTH sept. 16, 1969 K PHLEPS ETAL 3,467,011

WIPING ARRANGEMENT Filed Aug. 16, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet Fig,4

Il/l lIl/IlIlllllO//lllllg INVENTOR5 HGNC-x0 PHLEFS BY FRI-.HZ RUTH HNNS ELOCHL United States Patent O A 50,065 Int. Cl. B41f 35/06; B411 41/06 U.S. Cl. 101-425 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A reproducing machine comprises a rotary cylinder and means for wiping the periphery of the cylinder. The wiping means includes guide means which extends in axial parallelism with the cylinder and a carrier unit having a housing which is movable along but detachable from the slide means and which has a width substantially less than the axial length of the cylinder. A supply of wiping tape is accommodated in the housing and has a portion exposed exteriorly thereof so that it can be moved into engagement with selected portions of the periphery of the cylinder. The wiping tape also has a width substantially less than the axial length of the cylinder.

The present invention relates to a wiping arrangement. More specifically, the invention relates to an arrangement for wiping the peripheral surface of rotating elements.

In machines, such as copying or printing machines, in which the peripheral surface of one or more rotating elements (usually cylinders) is inked, it is necessary to remove the ink from such surface at more or less frequent intervals. Various arrangements are known for this purpose, all of them being permanently joined to the machine and covering the entire axial length of the rotary elements to be wiped. In arrangements of this type the peripheral surface of the cylinder is wiped over its entire axial length, whether the given circumstances such as ink density, require this or not. Naturally, an unnecessary expenditure of cleaning material is unavoidable in such cases it being obvious that cleaning material is wasted in wiping the entire surface when only a portion of the same is in need of wiping. Also, access to the cylinder is made rather difficult by arrangements of this type, particularly if they incorporate an etching device for the foils. The actual wiping means must furthermore be moistened with cleaning solution and must be replaced while the wiping arrangement remains secured to the machine. This, of course, makes such operations more difcult and in addition requires stoppage of the printing machine for the duration at least of exchange of the actual wiping means. Also, such arrangements naturally are relatively complicated in their construction. For this reason, it is customary to dispense with arrangements of this type where smaller machines are concerned, for instance offset printing machines for use in offices. In such machines the rubber blanket is cleaned, and premoistening of the new stencil is accomplished by hand with a rag or a piece of cotton. This is undesirable because in such machines, which are usually used to print only a small number of copies, cleaning and premoistening take up a considerable portion of the total time expended which is obviously out of proportion to the quantity of printed matter produced.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

A more specic object of the invention is to provide a wiping arrangement which is particularly suitable for small printing or copying machines.

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Yet another object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement which is inexpensive and simple to construct.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of this type which is separate from the machine it is intended to clean, to thereby facilitate servicing and maintenance of the arrangement as well as of the machine, but which can be readily secured to the machine for use in cleaning the same.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement which can be selectively used to clean only such portions of the peripheral surface of the rotary cylinder or cylinders as are actually in need of cleaning.

It is also a further object of the invention to provide an arrangement of this type in which the quantity of cleaning means needed is lower than known heretofore, particularly by virtue of the fact that the arrangement can be selectively utilized to clean only such portions of the rotary cylinders as are in need of cleaning.

In accordance with one feature of our invention we therefore provide7 in a reproducing machine having at least one rotary cylinder arranged to receive ink, a means for removing the ink from the periphery of the cylinder. Such means includes guide means arranged in axial parallelism with the cylinder, and a housing which is movable along the guide means and has a width substantially less than the axial length of the cylinder. It further includes a supply of cleaning tape which is accommodated in the housing and which has an exposed portion that can be moved into engagement with selected portions of the peripheral surface of the cylinder, the tape having a width which is also substantially less than the axial length of the cylinder.

We prefer to so construct the novel arrangement that it can be held by hand, and we further provide a preferably separate wetting unit for transmitting moisture to successive increments of the cleaning tape.

It will be understood that with the novel arrangement in accordance with the present invention the cylinders of the printing or reproducing machine are completely accessible during the printing process. The wiping arrangement can be secured to the machine by means of the guide means whenever this is necessary, and it can be made narrow enough so that the operator may grip it by hand and move it in axial direction of the cylinder along the guide means provided for this purpose.

The wetting unit advantageously consists of a closeable container for the cleaning fluid, provided that with a suitable means extending into the cleaning fluid and conveying the cleaning fluid by capillary action to the top of the wetting unit so that the cleaning tape can simply be moistened and maintained in moist condition by resting the wiping arrangement atop to wetting unit. Advantageously, the wetting unit will be so constructed that when the wiping arrangement rests on it while not in use, the wiping arrangement itself will provide a seal against the atmosphere to prevent evaporation of the usually highly volatile cleaning nid contained in the wetting unit.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention the guide provided on the machine for guiding the wiping arrangement along the cylinder or cylinders, is provided with a limit stop to prevent the wiping arrangement from dipping into the recesses which are usually provided on such cylinders and in which there are arranged the devices for securing the rubber sheet or the foil carried by the cylinders. Thus, the novel wiping arrangement can be utilized while the cylinder or cylinders rotate so that no down-time accrues as a result of use of the wiping arrangement.

The wiping tape is, in accordance with an additional feature of the invention, convoluted within the housing of the novel arrangement and extends from a supply roll to a take-up. The take-up prevents accidental re-winding of used portions of the cleaning tape by virtue of being provided with a blocking device, and a braking means is provided to maintain the wiping tape taut intermediate the supply roll and the take-up. Advantageously, an elastic support is provided for that increment of the tape which at any given time is exposed for contact with the surface of the rotary cylinder.

To replace the cleaning tape, once the same has been completely withdrawn from the supply roll and wound onto the take-up, the blocking device can be released so that the soiled tape can be readily withdrawn from the take-up and be replaced. The arrangement further comprises stop means which prevents accidental shifting of the cleaning tape laterally of its longitudinal extension.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reproducing machine including the novel wiping arrangement;

FIG. 2 is a schematic end elevational view of the novel wiping arrangement in position on the rotary cylinders;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section through the novel wiping arrangement, showing the latter seated on a wetting unit which is also shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of the take-up arrangement for the cleaning type.

Discussing now the drawing in detail, and firstly FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, it will be seen that the housing 1 of a reproducing machine is provided with a foil-carrying cylinder 2 and an offset or rubber blanket cylinder 3. Guide means in form of two parallel bars 4 and 5 are arranged on the housing in parallelism with and symmetrically to the cylinders 2 and 3. The housing of the novel wiping arrangement is designated with reference numeral 6 and is provided with a hook-shaped section 6b which can be hooked over the guide means constituted by the bars 4, 5. A portion 6c of the hook-shaped section 6b engages the bar 4 and serves as a limit stop which prevents the wiping arrangement from dipping into the peripheral recesses 2b, 3b of cylinders Z and 3. As is evident from FIG. l, the housing 6 of the novel wiping arrangement is made small enough so that the arrangement can be conveniently gripped by the hand of an operator, and it is advantageously provided with means to facilitate gripping, such as the parallel lateral ridges 6a shown in the drawing. These are particularly evident in FIG. 2, where it will also be seen (indicated in dashed lines) that the novel wiping arrangef ment can be reversed so that it cooperates with the foilcarrying cylinder 2 instead of with the rubber-blanket cylinder 3. It will be understood, of course, that when the arrangement cooperates with the cylinder 2, it serves to premoisten or etch the printing foil 2a carried by the cylinder 2 whereas, when it cooperates with the rubberblanket cylinder 3, it serves to clean the rubber blanket 3a carried by the cylinder 3.

Coming now to FIG. 3, it will be seen that a take-up 7 is arranged within the housing 6 of the novel wiping arrangement for taking up the cleaning tape 8 as the same is withdrawn from a roll 10 of such tape. A rotary knob 8f is provided which is coupled with the take-up reel 7, and this take-up reel in turn is provided with peripherally projecting teeth 7a which project from the surface of the reel 7 in the direction of rotation of the latter, so as to firmly engage and hold the tape 8. The latter consists in a known manner of absorbent fabric, paper or the like. The supply roll 10 is placed into the housing 6 after removal of the cover 9, and the free end of the tape is then pulled around and underneath the housing and secured to the take-up reel 7 by being hooked to the projecting teeth 7a of the latter. The lid 9 is secured to the housing by means of hooks 9a and is provided with a projection 9b which is received in a corresponding recess 60 of the housing 6 so that the cover is firmly maintained in position. Additionally, the cover is also held in position by the fact that a roll 11 is secured to a leaf spring 13 which in turn is xedly mounted on the cover 9 and presses the roll into engagement with the projection 6e on the housing 6.

This latter arrangement incidentally serves not primarily the purpose of maintaining the cover 9 in place, but constitutes a braking means for braking withdrawal of the cleaning tape 8 from the supply roll 10. As will be seen from FIG. 2, the leaf spring 13 is secured to the cover 9 by means of one or more rivets 12, and the cleaning tape passes between the roll 11 and the projection 6e of the housing 6. Thus, any portion of the cleaning tape which is drawn olf the supply roll 10 and wound onto the takeup 7 will be maintained in stretched condition because the roll 11 nips the tape between itself and the projection 6e of housing 6.

That portion or increment of the tape 8 which is so withdrawn at any given time and thus exposed for contact with the rotary cylinder or cylinders, is passed over a backing member 14 of elastic material, such as rubber, felt or a suitable synthetic plastic, which in turn is secured to a surface portion 6j of the housing 6 which is curved in a manner complementary to the curvature of the cylinder or cylinders of the printing or reproducing machine. Thel longitudinally spaced ends of the portion f are bounded by stop means in form of guiding projections 6g-6k, of which only projections 6g and 6i are visible in the drawlng.

FIG. 4 indicates that the cleaning tape passes over these respective projections and relatively closely follows the contour of the surface portion 6j of the housing. The projections 6g-6k prevent lateral movement of the tape which would otherwise occur when the housing is moved' in axial direction of the cylinder or cylinders to clean selected surface portions thereof.

Discussing the take-up in more detail, it will be seen that the take-up reel 7 (as shown in FIG. 5) is inserted into a bore 611 of the housing 6 and is prevented from axial shifting by projections 7b, 7c. The knob 8f which, as evident from FIG. 5, is provided with a knurled or otherwise suitably rough surface to facilitate gripping, has a shaft 8a which is formed inwardly spaced of the knob with a peripheral recess 8b. When the shaft s inserted into the housing 6, the two arms 20a and 20b of a substantially U-shaped spring 20 engage in this recess 8b after projecting through slots 7d and 7e of the take-up reel 7. These arms 20a and 20b serve to maintain the shoulder 8c provided on the knob 8f in engagement with the take-up reel 7. The shaft 8a is further provided with a flat surface 8d inwardly of the peripheral recess 8b and extending partially around the circumference of the shaft. This portion 8d is juxtaposed with a complementarily congurated inner surface 7e of the take-up reel 7 so that the knob 8f is thereby connected with the reel 7 for common rotation. That surface of the knob 8f which faces the housing 6 is further provided with recesses 8e and a projection, such as a rivet or pin 22, engages in these recesses and prevents an undesired reverse movement of the knob 8f in the normal operating condition of the latter. It will be noted that the rivet or pin 22 is carried by a leaf spring 21 and has a portion which projects through an opening in the housing 6 so that it can engage these recesses 8e. On the other hand, it is of course necessary to be able to remove the soiled cleaning `tape 8 from the housing once the entire supply of tape has been used up. To accomplish this, the knob 8f is withdrawn to the left as seen in FIG. 5 so that the arms 20a and 20b of the spring 20 disengage whereupon the package 23 constituted by the soiled cleaning tape can then be simply pulled off the take-up reel 7.

As shown in FIG. 3 a simple moistening unit for the novel device can be placed onto any available support surface 15, such as the top of a table. This moistening unit comprises a container 16 on which the housing 6 can rest when the wiping arrangement is not in use. The container 16 has a cover 17 through which a wick-type material 18, for instance a member of felt or foamed synthetic plastic material, projects so that its lower end is disposed in the cleaning or moistening fluid 19. Naturally, the fluid will be drawn to the upper part of the member 18 by capillary action and will moisten that increment of the cleaning tape which rests on member 18. By pressing down on the housing 6 the transfer of uid to the tape 8 is of course still further enhanced. The cover 17 is also provided with an opening 17a through `which the container 16 can be filled and which can be closed by means of a suitable stopper 18, which may be of the screw-type. There are further provided sealing shoulders 17b, 17c on the cover 17 and these are, as is evident from FIG. 3, so arranged that they closely engage the lateral faces of housing 6 when the same is placed onto the container 16. The purpose of this is, of course, to establish as tight a seal between the housing and the cover as possible to thereby prevent excessive evaporation of the cleaning or moistening fluid.

It will be obvious that lthe portion or increment of the cleaning tape which is in contact with the member 18 will remain moist as long as the housing 6 is seated on the container 16. To clean the cylinder or cylinders of any machine for which the novel arrangement is useable it is simply necessary to grip the housing 6, place it onto the machine so that the hook-shaped portion of the housing engages with the guide means provided on the machine while the cylinder or cylinders of the machines continue to rotate, and then to move the housing in axial direction of the cylinder or cylinders until all such surface portions of the same which are coated with ink have been cleaned. One of the significant advantages of this arrangement is, of course, the fact that with it there is no need to clean the entire surface of the cylinder or cylinders if only a small portion thereof is inked. Once the exposed increment of cleaning tape 8 has been soiled to the point where it will no longer clean properly, the knob 8f is rotated to expose a new increment of the tape, and the housing 6 is temporarily placed on the container 16 to moisten the newly exposed increment of tape 8, whereupon the novel device can then be used again.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of wiping arrangement differing from the types described above.

lWhile the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in wiping arrangement, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features, that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of `the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a reproducing machine, in combination, rotary cylinder means; wiping means for wiping the periphery of said cylinder means, said wiping means comprising guide means extending in axial parallelism with said cylinder means, and a carrier unit including a housing movable along and detachable from said guide means and having a width substantially less than the axial length of said cylinder means, and a supply of wiping .tape accommodated in said housing and having a portion exposed exi teriorly of said housing so that it can be moved into en gagement with selected sections of the periphery of said cylinder means, said wiping tape also having a width substantially less then the axial length of said cylinder means; and a wetting unit for transmitting moisture to successive increments of said tape, including a container for a liquid and provided with a cover arranged to carry said carrier unit, moisture-conducting means having one portion extending into said container so as to contact liquid therein and another portion projecting through said cover, said moisture-conducting means being arranged to conduct liquid from said one to said other portion by capillary action for transmission to the exposed increment of tape, and sealing portions arranged to cooperate with said carrier unit so that, when the latter is placed on said cover, the interior of said container is closed off from the ambient atmosphere so as to reduce evaporation of liquid in said container.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1; and further comprising gripping means provided on said housing for facilitating gripping of the latter.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said cylinder means includes one cylinder arranged to receive ink onto the periphery thereof, and wherein said wiping means is provided for removing ink from said one cylinder.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1; and further comprising transporting means provided on said housing for exposing successive increments of said wiping tape and including a supply member carrying said supply of tape, and a take-up member, and rotating means for rotatin-g one of said members so as to withdraw tape from one member and collect it on the other member.

5. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises limiting means cooperating with said guide means for limiting the extent to which said carrier unit can approach said cylinder means.

6. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises a pair of elongated parallel bars; said housing comprising limiting means for limiting the extent to which said carrier unit can approach said cylinder means and said limiting means comprising a hookshaped first portion adapted to be placed over one of said bars and a second portion adapted to engage the other of said bars so that said carrier unit is removably held with reference to said cylinder means in a predetermined position in which said tape just wipes the periphery of said cylinder means.

7. A combination as defined in claim 5, wherein said take-up member is a rotary spool and comprises engagement means for releasably engaging said tape, and wherein said rotating means is connected with said rotary spool.

8. A combination as defined in claim 7, wherein said rotating means is a knurled knob cooperating Withsaid rotary spool for rotating the same in forward direction so as to take up the tape; said transporting means further comprising blocking means engageable with said knob and said rotary spool for selectively permitting rotating of said spool in rearward direction for withdrawal of soiled tape therefrom.

9. A combination as defined in claim 5; and further comprising braking means provided on said housing intermediate said supply member and said take-up member for maintaining the exposed increment of tape taut.

10. A combination as defined in claim 5, wherein said housing has a surface portion corresponding to the curvature of said cylinder means, the respective exposed increment of tape overlying said curvature; and further comprising a resiliently deformable layer interposed between the increment of tape and said surface portion and connected to the latter.

11. A combination as defined in claim 10i; and further comprising stop means provided on said housing for preventing all but longitudinal movement of said tape with reference to said surface portion so as to maintain the tape in registry with said layer.

12. In a reproducing machine, in combination, rotary cylinder means comprising two axially parallel cylinders; and wiping means for wiping the periphery of said cylinder means, said wiping means comprising guide means extending in axial parallelism with said cylinder means and symmetrically with reference to said cylinders, and a carrier unit including a housing detachable from and movable in engagement with said guide means alternately along either of said cylinders so as to be usable with either one of the latter, said housing having a width substantially less than the axial length of said cylinder means, and a supply of wiping tape accommodated in said housing and having a portion exposed exteriorly of said housing so that said portion can be moved into engagement with selected sections of the periphery of said cylinder means, said wiping tape also having a width substantially less than the axial length of said cylinder means.

13. In a reproducing machine as dened in claim 12, wherein said housing comprises limiting means cooperating with said guide means for limiting the extent 4to which said carrier unit can approach said cylinder means.

14. In a reproducing machine as defined in claim 12; and further comprising tape transporting means provided on said housing and operative for transporting said tape and exposing successive increments thereof.

References Cited ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner EUGENE H. EICKHOLT, Assistant Examiner 

